Real Estate Insights in North Carolinatag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-15614042012-11-15T10:53:24-05:00Brought to you by Prudential Carolinas Realty, Prudential York Simpson Underwood Realty and Prudential Yost & Little Realty.TypePadTaking Part In The ‘Season Of Giving’tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54ff8f1768833017ee529bc39970d2012-11-15T10:53:24-05:002012-11-15T10:53:24-05:00The sales associates of Pru Carolinas/Pru YSU/Pru Yost & Little concluded their October Food Drive to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern...Prudential Carolinas Realty

Our
sales associates have organized a bi-annual food drive for the past two years
to help the significant number of families who are food insecure across North
Carolina. Donations are collected through office fundraisers and donations from
clients, sales associates and staff. Canned goods and monetary donations are
accepted at all of the Pru Carolinas/Pru YSU/Pru Yost & Little offices
throughout NC during the month of October.

“Our
sales associates demonstrated their tremendous generosity and connection with
the communities they serve by helping to make these significant contributions
to our local food banks,” says Tommy Camp, President & CEO. “We look
forward to continuing our year-round food collection next April when we will
once again dedicate the entire month to collecting donations.”

During
their 2012 food drive focus, our sales associates received donations that will
provide a total of 50,645 meals for the year. Such a wonderful accomplishment!

Fall in Love with these Festivalstag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54ff8f1768833017ee47714e3970d2012-10-26T10:50:30-04:002012-10-26T10:50:30-04:00Everyone loves a good festival to get you in the mood for the seasons changing and upcoming holidays. We would say, even more so in the fall than the spring. Apple cider, chilly air and decorative gourds excite your senses...Prudential Carolinas Realty

Everyone loves a good festival to get you in the mood for
the seasons changing and upcoming holidays. We would say, even more so in
the fall than the spring. Apple cider, chilly air and decorative gourds excite
your senses while wishing a wonderful summer farewell.

You know we are huge fans of our North Carolina
festivals, so here is a list of some great opportunities for your family to
join this upcoming weekend.

Starting at 10 a.m. with live music, good food and good
beer you won’t want to miss out! There is a
5k that beings at 8 a.m. as well and a great children’s area with activities
like face painting and magic shows to help keep your little ones entertained.

Everyone knows us North Carolinians love some good B-B-Q
and why not celebrate that by chowing down on some of the best pork this side
of the Mississippi. Pig isn’t the only thing on the agenda for this festival
though. There will be bicycle stunt shows, a Carnival and Lumberjack Show; to
list a few. The festival starts at 8:30 a.m.

Halloween is almost here, so why not celebrate with some pumpkin carving and headless horsemen
carriage rides? This 2-year-old festival in Grover, NC is certainly looking
to make its way into the top ranks for NC festivals. Your family will have the
chance to trick-or-treat safely, pick and carve a pumpkin as well as partake in
costume contests. Make sure you grab your costumes and frightful spirits for
this community celebration which begins at Noon.

5 cool places on the North Carolina coast you won't find anywhere elsetag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54ff8f17688330176154fc726970c2012-06-11T10:23:04-04:002012-06-11T10:53:31-04:00Trying to think of a unique summer experience for your family? Rediscover the beauty of our NC coast with these 5 unforgettable beach experiences.Prudential Carolinas Realty

OK, you walked in the ocean and got sand in your picnic snacks. Now what?

There’s more than beach to see on the North Carolina coast. Check out these one-of-a-kind attractions for a surfside side trip that’s amazing, fun for the family - and inexpensive.

Aurora: Pick-your-own fossils

The Aurora Fossil Museum owes roughly 90 percent of its collection to the PotashCorp.-Aurora complex nearby. The phosphate mine makes a point of digging up what geologists call the Pungo River Formation, a gray layer found beneath 10 to 13 metres of sand and clay.

That stratum was a sea floor seven to 23 million years ago. Just as now, the waters were relatively warm and shallow. A wide variety of primitive creatures lived and died here, and it was a hotbed for tiny animals whose remains decomposed into phosphates - a main ingredient of fertilizer.

From time to time, two sandbox-size piles of this prehistoric mine slag are dumped across the street from the museum in a little park. You’re free to go picking through it for fossils. The museum hands out a sheet with little photos that identify 27 of the most common pile finds.

Kids have a field day rummaging through the mound, delighted to find something. The pile’s pocket-size artifacts are genuine turned-to-stone fossils.

Down at the Beaufort, N.C., waterfront, buy a round-trip ticket ($18; $10 for kids) to Shackleford Banks, where humans haven’t lived for a century. The island’s notable residents today are 100-plus wild horses descended (depending on whom you ask) from shipwrecked Spanish steeds or 19th-century Carolinians. They’re the masters of this 14-kilometre isle in the National Park Service’s Cape Lookout National Seashore.

They’re small but full-grown. Be careful and don’t get too close: They’re wild.

Approach them slowly, with caution and from downwind. From 10 metres, you can spot their feral appearance, their untended manes and tails matted into dreadlocks by Mother Nature. (Get horse-watching tips at http://1.usa.gov/IqvdVX).

The wind-and-wave-swept island is great, by the way, for seashells: Bring a bag.

Bring a timepiece, too. If you miss the ferry, you’ll be stranded. And carry a water bottle: The only non-saltwater is in horse ponds.

Southbound N.C. 12 stops on Ocracoke Island, across the channel from Portsmouth Island. And that’s where the ghost town is.

For close to a century, Portsmouth, on Ocracoke Inlet, was on a major trading route to the mainland ports. But in the 1840s, a storm opened up the deeper Hatteras channel and the village’s economy gradually wasted away. The last two residents left in 1971.

When Cape Lookout National Seashore was set up five years later, Portsmouth’s 100-hectare historic district was put on the National Register of Historic Places. Wander the quiet streets and go into a house that serves as the visitor centre; the post office/store, Methodist church, schoolhouse and live-saving station; the rest - the other homes are closed. There are a handful of cemeteries. And, in season, squadrons of hungry mosquitoes.

To get there, board the state ferry at Ocracoke (www.ncdot.gov/ferry) for the half-hour ride. Reach Ocracoke via the state ferry from Swan Creek or Cedar Island. The voyage across Pamlico Sound ($15 per car, one way) will take up to 2 1/2 hours.

Never know what you’ll find in the wild, but at 307-hectare Carolina Beach State Park, just south of Wilmington, walk the 800-metre Flytrap Trail to spot the rare, meat-eating Venus flytrap, only found naturally within a 120-kilometre radius of Wilmington.

Bugs are drawn to the colour and aroma of its leaves; if the insect touches one little hair trigger, nothing happens. But when a second is touched, the leaf halves snap shut on it in a tenth of a second. It takes three to five days for the plant’s fluids to decompose its prey, then the leaf reopens.

The park holds other botanical carnivores, by the way: pitcher plants, bladderworts, sundews and butterworts.

Unusual animal life includes reptiles: Carolina anoles, five-lined skinks and six-lined racerunners. Keep your eyes peeled for the rare gopher frog. Also rare - and there in summer - are painted buntings, a bird species that winters in the tropics.

You can occasionally spy an alligator at the park marina. And don’t miss the 15-metre Sugarloaf sand dune that has served as a marker for Cape Fear mariners since 1663.

At Ocracoke, you can leave the United States and enter 697 square metres of British territory. It’s the British Cemetery, a sad legacy from World War II.

In 1942, German subs prowled the East Coast for merchant ships. In the first six months of 1942, close to 400 ships were lost to German U-boats.

America's British allies sent ships over to protect New World commerce. Among them was the Bedfordshire, a fishing trawler converted into an escort ship for convoy duty. The Bedfordshire was sunk by U-boat 558 on May 11. The entire crew of the Bedfordshire was lost, and three days later, a handful of bodies of crewmen began washing up on shore.

They were buried in a corner of the Ocracoke cemetery later deeded to the Commonwealth War Grave Commission - so the sailors there can technically be buried in "home" soil. Though the British Cemetery is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard station at Ocracoke, a Union Jack flies over the graves.

Why We Love North Carolina in the Springtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54ff8f1768833016765cdad5b970b2012-04-27T14:33:25-04:002012-04-27T14:33:25-04:00Everyone loves spring … warmer weather and the beautiful Dogwood trees start to bloom, but another reason is the community festivals and events. For years we have welcomed the changing seasons with festivals and celebrations. But none can be as...Prudential Carolinas Realty

Everyone loves spring … warmer weather and the beautiful Dogwood trees start to bloom, but another reason is the community festivals and events. For years we have welcomed the changing seasons with festivals and celebrations. But none can be as anticipated as the spring festivals.

We might be a little biased, but we think that North Carolina has some of the best spring festivals to offer. Ranging from every tip of our beautiful state, you would be hard pressed not to find at least one festival that caught your fancy. Some of our favorites are MerleFest in Wilkesboro and the BBQ Capital Cook Off in Lexington.

MerleFest began in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson, and has grown into one of the most well-known Folk and Blue Grass festivals of the Southeast. This four day event features over 60 musical acts and offers workshops, nature walks and countless activities provided by the vendors. If you’re looking to get back to the “roots” of North Carolina and experience the beauty of the foothills, this is your best bet.

Known for their BBQ in Lexington, it only seems natural that they would host a BBQ Cook- Off. If you haven’t graced yourself with a trip to this timeless small town yet, now is your chance. With competitors from around the country showcasing their slow cooking styles, beer and wine tastings, live music and a corn hole throw down…who could resist? This two day event is sure to give you a fun filled weekend.

Whether you are a North Carolina native or just relocated, there are plenty of opportunities for you to celebrate the start of a beautiful season and the wonderful culture of our state. Which festival are you going to kick your spring off with?

Springing for a Good Causetag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54ff8f17688330168e9a5de41970c2012-04-04T15:49:31-04:002012-04-04T15:49:31-04:00Starting in 2009, we started working with local food banks throughout North Carolina to help raise money and food for the thousands of families that go without meals every day. Starting April 2, we began one of our annual food...Prudential Carolinas Realty

Starting in 2009, we started working with local food banks throughout North Carolina to help raise money and food for the thousands of families that go without meals every day. Starting April 2, we began one of our annual food drives to benefit three local Food Banks. All of the Prudential Carolinas Realty, Prudential York Simpson Underwood Realty and Prudential Yost & Little Realty offices will be collection locations.

“Last year our October Food Drive was a huge success – we raised over $3,200 and 6,000 pounds of food,” said Tommy Camp, President and CEO. “Our sales associates demonstrated their tremendous connection with the communities in which they serve by helping to make these significant contributions. Because of the great success of our food drive, and most importantly because of the increased need due to a depleting supply of food in the food banks, this year we are expanding our efforts with the intent of making an even greater impact.”

We are excited to kick off another Food Drive and expect to create just as great a success as the years past! If you are interested in helping our cause, here is how you can help: Click Here!

Photo tours of NC Citiestag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54ff8f17688330120a904b6fc970b2010-03-10T16:52:00-05:002010-03-05T17:19:44-05:00Relocating to North Carolina from out of the state? Lived here a little while but want to explore new areas? We created short photo tours of the cities that we serve to help you get to know the area a...Prudential Carolinas Realty

Relocating to North Carolina from out of the state? Lived here a little while but want to explore new areas?

We created short photo tours of the cities that we serve to help you get to know the area a little better. These photo tours showcase the highlights of the city including major landmarks, sporting events
and other activities that happen throughout the year to give you a better feel for what it's like to live there.

Embedded below is the playlist of all 11 photo tours, just click the " > " button on the video to go to the next video.

Help us feed those in needtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54ff8f17688330120a56c6ac7970b2009-09-14T10:20:17-04:002009-09-24T11:39:03-04:001 in 8 Americans struggles with hunger today. Prudential Carolinas and Prudential York Simpson Underwood offices throughout the state are hosting a food drive to benefit the food banks in each region who are in great need of food.Prudential Carolinas Realty
<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><param name="movie" value="http://www.feedingamericacentral.org/banners/HAM_300.swf"><embed src="http://www.feedingamericacentral.org/banners/HAM_300.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="250">
<p>1 in 8 Americans struggles with hunger today. Prudential Carolinas and Prudential York Simpson Underwood offices throughout the state are hosting a food drive to benefit the food banks in each region who are in great need of food. </p><p>Even the smallest of donations can help feed those in need, every $1 = 3 meals. Please help us feed those in need in North Carolina. </p><p><a href="http://prucarolinas.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54ff8f17688330120a56c61df970b-popup" onclick="window.open(this.href,'_blank','scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" style="float: left;"><img alt="FoodDrive_OurState4" class="at-xid-6a00e54ff8f17688330120a56c61df970b " src="http://prucarolinas.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54ff8f17688330120a56c61df970b-500wi" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; width: 226px; height: 298px;" title="FoodDrive_OurState4"></a> </p><p><em>Please consider making a donation today at one of our <a href="http://www.prucarolinas.com/FindAnAgentPage.aspx" title="Find an office">offices</a> or directly to the food bank in your area:</em></p><p><a href="http://www.secondharvestcharlotte.org/Get-Involved/Financial-Form-Detail.cfm" title="Donate today">Charlotte Area - Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina</a></p><p><a href="http://www.hungernwnc.org/get-involved/donate-online.html" title="Donate today">Triad Area - Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina</a></p><p><a href="https://secure2.convio.net/fbnc/site/Donation2?idb=1029063698&amp;df_id=1240&amp;1240.donation=form1&amp;JServSessionIdr001=flmrhndut1.app7a" title="Donate today">Triangle Area - Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina</a></p></div>
Cameron Village Broker-In-Charge earns award from Triangle MLStag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54ff8f17688330115724dc4d9970b2009-07-31T13:24:00-04:002009-08-17T18:17:47-04:00Congratulations to Tom Gongaware, Raleigh/Cameron Village Broker-In-Charge, who recently received an award from the Triangle MLS in recognition of his six years of service as its Director. Pictured below at the presentation ceremony are (l-r): Ray Larcher, Executive Vice-President, Raleigh...Prudential Carolinas Realty

Congratulations to Tom Gongaware, Raleigh/Cameron Village Broker-In-Charge, who recently received an award from the Triangle MLS in recognition of his six years of service as its Director.

Sales associates Vicki Kessinger and Nancy Briggs were both recently awarded national Prudential CARES Volunteer Grants for their respective charities.

Kessinger, sales associate in the Rock Hill office of Prudential Carolinas Realty, received a $1000 grant for the Children’s Attention Home in Rock Hill. The Children’s Attention Home Inc., provides emergency residential shelter and supportive services for abused, neglected and abandoned children ages birth through 21 years who have been identified at risk of harm in their present condition of living arrangements, and/or if the child’s parent or guardian cannot or will not provide safe and adequate care. To find out more, visit www.attentionhome.org.

Briggs, a sales associate in the Prudential York Simpson Underwood Realty office in Cary, received a $250 grant for the Appalachia Service Project. Appalachia Service Project provides vital housing services as well as transformational life experiences to those who serve, volunteers offering their service, congregations involved with ASP, and entire communities. To find out more, visit www.asphome.org.